St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-30
RIENzI, THE TRIBUNE.
Lawrence Barrett's Chat Regarding
His Latest Dramatic Success.
An Entertaining Talk About Miss
Mftford-.A Gifted Woman's Life.

Although 'Rienzi's Address to the
Romans is familiar to every school boy in
the land, there are really very few scholars
who knew that it was taken from DRAMA"
said Mr.. Barrett last night to the GLOBE,
as he rested in his dresslng-room between
two of his acts. and divided his time be-
tween the GLOBE representative and ham
sandwich, which was eaten with relish
that betrayed vigorous appetite. pardon
me for this unceremonious lunch, but the
active exercise of the stage is always a good
appetizer" remarked the great tragedian.
as he politely proffered the GLOBE the
only chair in the room. ''As was saying,
not great many OF even our best scholars
knew that tile old Dramatic recitation of
'RienZis' address was an extract from one
OF the finest dramas that was ever written.
AT my first production of the play in Wash
ington, Chief Justice Waite told me that it
was a revelation to him-that he had often
recited the piece in his school-boy days, and
knew that authorship was attributed to
Miss Milford, still he always supposed it
was fragmentary production. Miss Nit
ford was a very remarkable woman, and
when my first performance of her great
play in Washington was received with such
great demonstration, l experienced in my
heart a feeling of pity that she could not
have been alive to enjoy the triumph of her
genius. The glory Of its success belongs
more to her than to me. 1t is true that in
reviying this drama have changed it in
some respects, and in doing SO have catered
to the
TASTE OF THE AGE
for scenic display and have inserted some
parts in the play itself which did not orig
inally belong there. The love scene be-
tween Claudia and Angelic was not in the
original play. l transferred it from FAB
ian." another of Miss Mitfords plays. The
idea of the cathedral scene is my own, and
also the music. The anthem was furnished
me by distinguished clergyman of Boston,
a friend of mine. The death scene is Mr..
Boxers arrangement For five years |
have had ''Rienzi" in my mind with the
idea of producing it and am, of course,
gratitied to find it receiving popular appro-
baton beyond my most sanguine eXpecta-
tons. Just fifty days before it's first pro-
duction in Washington determined to bring
out ''Rienzi' this season. The rehearsals
and the preparatory work was all done
within those SO days. 1t is my invariable
rule that
My FIRST PERFORMANCE
vi d play SLStll NC ptIlolIldHCo dli.i liOI q
rehearsal. The rehearsal work is all done
when [ am ready to put the piece before
the public. The opening night of ''RienZi"
in Washington the play was over at II
o'clock. President Cleveland, who occrl-
pied box. told me afterwards that owing
to his rheumatic troubles he had told his
wife when they started for the theater that
he must not stay out later than 10 o'clock.
When the curtain dropped on the last act
he turned to Mrs. Cleveland and remarked
that it certainly was not time to go home.
Consulting his watch he was surprised to
find that it was II o'clock. ''RienZf'
had beguiled away his rheumatic
pains. as we'll as the hours of the night.
By the way, speaking of Miss Milford,
there was one pathetic part of her life
which probably you never heard" and Mr..
Barrett's head lowered on his breast and
his voice dropped into tremulOus tone as
his mind went back to the dark picture of
the struggles OF the gifted woman's early
life. ''Miss Milford was the original Lit
tie Marchioness' of Charles Dickens novel.
She had profligate father, who spent her
earnings in drink and gambling" MI.
Barrett's reference to this unhappy episode
in the life of the author of 'RienZp was
given with dramatic touch, which shows
him to be as gifted an exponent of his own
thoughts as he has trained himself to be for
those of others. 81 have been asked if intend
to take as much pains with the spectacular
part of the performances Mr.. Booth and
myself will give next year as [ have done
with my production. l say we will. l re-
ceived telegram from my manager the
other day saying that if we proposed to put
Julius Caesar and 'OthellO' in the way
had directed it would take two trains of
cars to haul our property. l replied to him
that it did not matter if it took ten times
that number of cars. intended to put ali
OF my plays on next season just as l have
done 'Rienzi.' In Julius Caesar Mr.. Booth
will take the part of Brutus and will play
Cassus. In 'Othello' we will alternate with
Othello and Iago." At this point the notes
of the big organ on the stage rang out and,
bidding the GLOBE reporter hasty fare
well with cordial invitation to call again,
the Tribune fastened out to administer the
oath of allegiance to his rebellious barons.